Business insurance
Property, liability and lost income on one policy, at one renewal date. A BOP fits shops, offices, restaurants and small landlords whose buildings and risks are ordinary enough to package.
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The short answer
A business owners policy (BOP) packages general liability, commercial property and business income coverage into one policy for small and mid-sized businesses. Because the carrier prices the pieces together, a BOP usually costs less than buying each one separately. It doesn’t include workers’ comp, commercial auto or professional liability, which are written on their own policies.
Includes
Liability, property, business income
Leaves out
Workers' comp, auto, professional liability
Fits
Offices, retail, restaurants, small landlords
Corporate offices
Texas and Georgia
The core of every BOP is the same three coverages. Carriers then add optional pieces, and those are where two BOP quotes start to differ.
Injuries to customers and visitors, damage you cause to other people’s property, and advertising claims, with legal defense included.
The building if you own it, plus equipment, inventory, furniture and the improvements you paid for in a leased space.
Lost income and ongoing expenses like payroll and rent while you’re closed after a covered loss such as a fire.
Equipment breakdown, employee dishonesty, spoilage for restaurants, hired and non-owned auto, and data breach coverage, depending on the carrier.
Carriers write BOPs for businesses they consider predictable: a dental office, an insurance office, a boutique, a small restaurant, a landlord with a few retail tenants. Each carrier sets its own limits on square footage, building value, revenue and type of work. A business that fits one carrier’s BOP can fall outside another’s, which is the main reason we quote more than one.
Some businesses don’t belong on a BOP at all. Contractors with heavy completed-operations exposure, security guard companies, trucking and transportation operations, and buildings worth several million dollars in wind territory usually need a standalone program. For high-value property, see our commercial property insurance page. For guard companies, start with general and professional liability.
Gulf Coast wind is the catch in Texas. Some carriers exclude wind on BOPs written near the coast or set a separate percentage deductible for it. We read the wind terms on every quote before you see it.
A BOP wins on price and simplicity when your business fits. You get one policy, one renewal date and one bill, and the coverages share the same definitions, so there’s less room for a claim to fall between two policies.
Separate policies win when your needs outgrow the package. If you need a $5 million liability limit, a building valued above the carrier’s BOP cap, special wind terms or a liability form your clients’ contracts require, buying the pieces separately gives you control over each one. An umbrella policy sits above either setup for higher liability limits.
When it’s close, we quote both ways and show you the two premiums and coverage summaries side by side.
Checklist
These gaps catch small business owners most often. Each one needs its own policy.
Earthquake and most cyber losses are also excluded unless the carrier offers an add-on.
1
Injuries to your employees. That’s workers’ compensation, required in Georgia at three employees.
2
Vehicles your business owns, which need commercial auto
3
Mistakes in professional advice or services, which need professional liability
4
Flood from rising water, which needs a separate flood policy
5
Tools and equipment that travel to job sites, unless the carrier adds an inland marine endorsement
1
What you do, where you’re located, your revenue, your building or lease details and what you own inside it.
2
One application goes to the carriers whose BOP programs fit your class, size and location, including the wind terms near the coast.
3
We lay out premium, limits, deductibles and add-ons side by side, and point out anything a carrier excluded.
4
Once you pick, we bind coverage and send the certificates your landlord or clients need.
It depends on your type of business, location, building value, revenue and claims history. An office with low foot traffic pays much less than a restaurant with cooking equipment. Near the Texas coast, the wind deductible also moves the price. We quote several carriers so you can see the actual range for your business.
No. General liability is one part of a BOP. A BOP adds property coverage for your building and contents and business income coverage for the time you’re closed after a covered loss. If you own or lease space with equipment and inventory, a BOP usually costs less than buying general liability and property on separate policies.
Yes. Business income coverage is built into most BOPs. It pays lost income and continuing expenses such as payroll and rent while you’re closed after a covered loss like a fire or windstorm. It doesn’t pay for closures caused by something the policy excludes, such as flood. Check the time limit, which is often 12 months.
Often, yes. Many carriers write BOPs for home-based businesses with customers or inventory, since a homeowners policy usually covers little or no business property and no business liability. The business has to fit the carrier’s class guidelines. Tell us what you do from home and we’ll check which carriers accept it.
Independent agents can bundle when the policies are written in the same agency, and the savings depend on the carriers involved. If Tree Insurance Agency writes your BOP, we’ll also quote your commercial auto, workers’ comp or umbrella and show you whether placing them with the same carrier saves money.
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance pays to repair or rebuild a business building and replace what's inside it after fire, wind, hail, theft or vandalism.
General & Professional Liability
General liability insurance pays when someone outside your business says you hurt them or damaged their property.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles your business owns, leases or uses for work, along with the employees who drive them.
